Temperature regulator



1947. L. M. PUSTER TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed on. 21, 1942 T zd- 1.

4 sheets sheet l EXPANSION TANK ENGINE Aug. 12, 1947. 1.. M. PUSTER 2,425,439

TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed Oct. 21, 1942 4' Sheets-Sheet 2.

swam;

Louie M Pas fer Aug; 12, 1%? 1:. M. PUSTER TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed Oct. 21, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed Oct. 21, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Louis M fer Mai WWW hunmeqs Patented Aug. 12, 1947 n UNITED STATE s PATENT, omen TEMPEItATURE REGULATOR Louis M. Puster, Knoxville, Tenmfassignor to The Fulton Sylphon Company, Knoxville, Tenn., a corporation of Delaware 11 Claims.

Application October 21,1942, Serial No. 462,845

' (c1. 2ss s4) though that temperature h 5 been attained wherein only circulation through the radiator is desired. .1

It is an object of this invention to provide a temperature regulator of the charactet referred to wherein the operation of the valve mechanism is independent of fluctuations of pressure in the cooling liquid whether. caused by variations of inafter apparent, the present invention is offparticular utility when applied to the coolingsysterms of liquid cooled airplane engines.

Cooling systems of the type employing a by pass through which circulation is maintained during the warming up period of the engine, and before the cooling medium reaches a predetermined degree, have the recognized advantage that much time may be saved in bringing the engine to that temperature at which it is designed to operate efficiently. Systems of this character of necessity entail valve control of the by-pass and of the main circulation through the radiator, involving the use of a thermostat which, in order to provide for the requisite amount of" valve movement, is ordinarily of the type employing an expansible and collapsible chamber responsive to variations in'pressure generated therein by a volatile liquid. Such expansible and collapsible chambers being pressure responsive elements also respond to fluctuations of pressure exatmospheric pressure due to altitude or by variations in the pressure in the liquid caused by the operation of the cooling system itself. I

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type characterized which associates with the thermostat controlling the valve operation a compensating means which balances V out variations in the pressure of the cooling memembers with respect totheir seats.

teriorly thereof. Thus a designed operation at I ground level ceases to 'holdtrue when a plane has reached high altitudes because the decrease in atmospheric pressure acting on the cooling. medium decrease the external pressure on the pressure responsive vessel, whereby the latter can respond to a lower interior pressure. As a plane will operate at a wide variety of altitudes each having its own atmospheric pressure, the variations in pressure on the liquid in the cooling system are accordingly productive of a constantly varying back pressure on the thermostat with a consequent variation in the temperature response thereof. Furthermore, the thermostat is also responsive to variations of pressure in the cooling liquid itself arising from varying conditions of operation of the pump, valves, etc. combined effect of the varying pressures on the thermostat may seriously interfere with the designed operation of the regulator, causing, for example, in some structures heretofore proposed, the by-pass valve member to float out of contact with its seat and permit a continuous flowof the cooling medium through the by-pass even dium on the thermostat. p

Another object of this invention is to provide awdevice of the typecharacterized which assures a substantially constant pressure drop throughthe thermostatically controlled valve mechanism irrespective of the varying positions of the valve Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type last characterized which employs a pair of thermostatically controlled valve members that co-operate with theirrespective seats to initiate or terminate circulation of the cooling medium 'atdifierent times but withthe effect that the total flow of cooling medium remains substantially constant irrespective of the varying relationships of the valve members with respect to their seats.

Another object of this invention isto provide a device wherein the flow of cooling medium remains substantially constant without use of sequentially opening or closing valves as last re- Hence the ferred to.

Another object of this invention is to provide a temperature regulator for a-cooling system of an-internal combustion engine which has improved safety mechanism to discontinue further flow through the by-p'ass when a dangerous temperature has been reached, and which while particularly adapted for use in aregulator as hereinbefore characterized is also of general utility Another object of this invention is to provide a device as heretofore characterized which is relatively simple and compact in structure, and

which can be manufactured and installed at relawith any suitable radiator l3.

ment to theoutlet :of the radiator.

tively low cost, and'which atfl'the same time is highly emcient in service. I '1 a l Other objects of the invention will appear as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention is capable of receiving a variety .of mechanical expressions, three of which'have been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are. not to be construed as definitions of the limits of the invention, reference being had to pended claims for that purpose.

the 'ap- 7 formed in the wall 29 Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein the same reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts in the several fig-v ures,

invention; i V

Fig. 2 isan. enlarged and more detailed view Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a cooling'system; of an internal combustion engine embodying the of the regulator illustrated generally in the em:

bodiment of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 3 is another schematicview of 'a 'cooling system of an internal combustion engine embodying the invention; v v

Fig. 4- is an enlargedfand more detailed view of the regulator illustrated generally in the embodiment of Fig. 3; i

' Fig. 5 is a diagram to be explained ;and'

Fig.6'illustrates' yet another embodiment of the invention. a r

: Referring first to Fig. 1, there is diagrammatically illustrated a cooling system for an internal combustion engine III which includes 'upper water line H and lower water line l2 in communication 5 Interposed be-' of section l8 on that side of said section to which the housing section I8 is attached. 7

Mounted in any suitable way in said housing section I 6 is a thermostat of any suitable-size and construction, here shownias in the form of expansible and collapsible chamber-defined by a corrugated tubular metal wall or bellows pro+ I videdwith-a stationary end wallq3l which is fixedly attached in position in the housingyfas by a threaded 'boss 32 extending through an aper- V ture 33 in a bridge 3 8 formed integrally with or v attached to the housing section and locked in position as bya nut 35. The opposite and movable end. wall 36 closing the opposite end of the chamber 31 of said thermostat, and which cham bar is chargedwith any suitable thermo-sensitivev i fluid, preferably a volatile liquid partially filling I *said chamber "and efiecting the expansion and H contraction thereof upon changes in vapor'pre s sure, has attached thereto in any suitable way a stem 38, here shown as hollowiora portion of its. length fora reason to be explained, andgillus-v trated asthreadedly secured to a stud39 project ing from the end wall 361 Slidingly mounted on said stem 38 :but normally locked against relative movement withrespect thereto as hereinafter explained is a sleeve 48 having its inner end beveled.

, so as to provide acam surface. Fixedlyat tween the upper waterline II and the bottom water line I2 is a by-pass I4; and at the junction of said by-pass with the-bottom waterline as here shown is installed in any suitable way a regulator l5 embodying the present invention,

- this, particular embodiment therefore being particularly adapted for installation a bottom water line.

Referring now to the more detailed illustration.

of the embodiment of the regulator of Fig. 1 to be found 'lniFig. 2, the regulator as here illustrated includes a housing which may be composed of any suitable number of parts, shown'as composed of a cup-shaped section l6 having an inlet I1 for suitable attachment to and in com- I8 to be referred to in more detail; and a lower cup-shaped section H! for the compensating elementto be described. Saidsections IB, l8 and i9 may be united -'in' any suitable way, as by appropriate bolts or screws 20, with suitable packing V munication with the by-pass M, a central section 2|, if desired, to prevent leakage at the joints between the sections of the housing.

' Section l8 ofsaid housing is provided with a pair of nipples 22 and 23, here shown as at opposite sides of the section and substantially in alignl ment, although suchjarrangementisin no respect essential. Nipple 22 is designed to be suitably attached to and communicate with the bottom water line .12, while nipple23is designed to be suitably attached to and communicate with the radiator l3, as by a short section of conduit designated 24 in Fig. l, but obviously nipple 23 may be-made of appropriatelength'for direct attach- Interiorly, section l8 has a partition wall ,25-japertured at tobe described. Section I8 is also suitablyl ro- "vided with a by-pass port 28, here shown ;as

26 and 21 to provide a pairof aligned valve ports withwhich co-operate themain valve members" tached to the sleeve 40 in anysuitable wanes by screwthreads at 42, isa sleeve 43 which at its a opposite end is also slidably mounted on said stem 38, and to said sleeve 43 is attached in any suitable way, or as shown made integral therewith; thev valve members 44 and 45 for co-operation with 7 the valve ports Ziand 21, respectively, heretofore referred to. 'Asillustrated, valve member-'44 has a sliding fit in*its port 26,.while'valve'memben 4 5 has seating engagementwiththe periphery of the port ZL'but as will be apparent any other of poppet valve structure may be 1 suitable form employed.

' Also mounted on the sleeve, as by the a ed connection at' 46', 'is a by-pass valve .41, said, valve having a "diameter. such that" its effective;

area when closed is equal ',to the effective area of the movable end wall .36 of the-thermostat chamber 3'I,to the end that'sai'd chamber and. said valve member 41 will have the same response to fluid pressure whether the by-pass valve is open or closed as'hereinafter explained. Valve member may be of any suitable construction, being shown as somewhat dished soas to make aline" I contact with the'periphery of the port 28,but any.

other suitableconstruction of seating valve may i be used. Interpo'sed between ,said' valve member 7 Y 41 and the end wall 3670f chamber 31,.here shown as formed reentran'tlyso as ,to co-operate with the tubularfstop element 4.8 to limit the collapse 7 of the bellows 30, is a coil spring 49 for a purpose to be explained.

As beforenotedstem 38 is hollow fora. portion of its length to'provide an interior bore 50.- The inner endof said boreas-shown is provided with. a recess .5! above which is a seat 52 to receive a 7 block 53 '-of suitable metal that willl melt or at- 1 least become sufficiently soft to function as hereinafter explained ifjandf when the temperature and the stud as is a coil spring 51 which. isms.

the extension 55 of the plunger in contact with the meltable block 53 and, when said block melts or sufliciently softens, forces the extension, 55 toward or into the recess was to bring the cutaway portion 56 into the positionpreviously occupied by the. head 54.,Mounted inan aperture in the Wall of the stem'38 is a ball or. other suitable trigger member 59, said ball being freely,

movable in said aperture but being normally held by the head 54 in a position in which it projects v in which the cutaway-portion 56 isbrought opposite'said ball 59, ball 59 is cammed into the cutaway portion 56 by the cam surface 4| of the sleeve 40 under the pressure applied-to the latter. by the spring 49, whereupon the stem 38 v is disconnected from the sleeve 40 and the sleeve 43 with its valve members 44 and 45 carried thereby. Thereby the stem 38 becomes; indeof the valve member-41, the same compensating efiect is still retained. Hence in no position of.

the valve members will fluctuations of pressure in the cooling medium produce an undesired movement of said valvemembers because said valve members now respond only to the variationsjof pressure corresponding-t0 temperature variations at thetherrnostat 31. l

' As will now be apparent, when the engine is first started the cooling medium is relatively 'coldand the thermostat 31 is contracted to the position shown whereinthefmain valve'members '44, and'45 close the ports 26and 21in the main .line ofcirculation through the radiaton'while valve member 41 is wide open to permit the maximum circulation through port 26- When the temperature of the'coolingmedium rises to 1 a predetermined degree thermostat 31 begins pendent of the valve members 44 and 45; andas the sleeves and 43 are now free to slide on the stem 38 they will be moved by spring 49 to the position wherein valve member 41 engages its seat to close the :port 28, while valve membersv 44 and are moved to open ports 26 to their maximum extent.

Mounted within the. housing section 19, as hereinbefore referred to, is a pressure compenand'21 sating element in the form of an expansibletand collapsible corrugated tubular metal wall or bellows 60 having a stationary end wall 6| suitably attachedto the housing wall, as by a stud 62 projecting through an aperture in the housin'g wall and secured in position by a nut 66.. The

posite and movableend wall 64 of t'he-cha.mber""' -45 65 defined peripherally by the bellows 60 is suitably attached to the stem 38 as by stud 66having threaded engagement with theyend of the stem. 38. Thereby the movable end'walls of the two: chambers-- 31 and .65 are'rigidly connectedby the stem 36. End wall 64 has'the same effective area as the end wall 36 of chamb'er" 31, and chamber 65 is partially evacuated but withacharge of air or'asuitableinert gas. a

When valve membef 41 is open so that the two movable end Walls 36 and 64 are subjected to the fluid pressure in the housing the fluid pressure acts equally and opp sitely on said two movable end walls connected by' the stem 38,. sothat any fluctuation of pressure, whether due to changes ,in atmospheric pressure. orv due to changes in liquid pressure because of the operation of the cooling system, is balanced out since the same spring 51 to move'the plunger 54, downward1y to expand,- decreasing the flow of cooling medium through the port 28, and therefore through the by-pass, while initiating vand progressively increasing thefiow of cooling medium through ports 26 and 27 and thereby. through the radiator. Progressive increase of temperature results in progressive movements of the valve members until the by-pa'ss port 28 is closed and the main valve ports 16 and 21 are wide open, while'a decrease in temperature results in a reverse move- 7 ment of the parts to decrease the flow through the radiator and increase flow through the bypass. Thereby the temperature of the cooling medium may be kept closely to mined intended temperature.

In the event that the temperature rises the predeterdangerously to that degree at which the block 53 may melt or soften sufliciently to permit as viewed in the drawings, ball 59 is cammed intothe cutaway-portion 56 under the action of the spring-49 and the valve members 44; 45and 47 are thereby made independent of the stem 38. Under these conditions spring 49- is free to ex- 1 pand to its-full limit until lay-pass valve 41 closes the by-pass port 28 and-the main valve members 44 and 45 are wide open, so as to enforce all xfurther circulation-through the radiator, with fluctuations of pressure are applied equally and in opposite directions on the movable end wall 36 of the thermostat and on-the movable end'wall 64 of the compensating chamber 65. When in the course of operation the valve member 41 is engaged with its seat, preventing vor substantially I preventing circulation, of the cooling medium through the bypass, the fluctuations in pressure in the medium flowing through the housing are applied to the movable'end wall 64 ofcompensating chamber 65 and the underside of the valve member 41, but as the efiective areas of the two movable end walls have been equated with. that substantially no circulation through the :by-pa'ss, to obtain the maximum cooling effectof the radiator.v

When the by-pass valve member 4115 closed the thermostat is in a confined body-of water that is not subject to circulation, but if the temperature of the cooling medium' starts to drop the water surrounding the thermostat will quickly lose heat through the walls of the housing and {initiate the opening of the by-pass valve. However, if preferred, a leakage port maybe pro-' vided in or around the valve member 41 so as to assure a slight circulation at all times through the chamber containing the thermostat and thereby render said thermostat more quicklyre sponsiv'e to changes of temperature in the cooling medium without introducing such circulation through the by-pass when the; by-p'ass valve'is closed aswould upset the intended operation ofthe regulator.

Fig.3 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention applied to what corresponds with the upper water line of a cooling system. A's'here shown, engine 10 .has a coolingwater system" including conduit H leading from the outlet of the engine. jacket to the radiator I2, the cooling medium being returned to said jacket through water. line' l3. A by-pas's I4 is interposed between water lines H and I3 and the an upper water line.

" port I03, being illustrated as having wings I06 nated 18. is interposed at thejunctlon ofthe water line 1| with the bypass I4. Thus this embodiment is one suitable for installation in Now referring to Fig. 4 for a detailed illustration-of the embodiment .of the invention diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 3, againthe housing is shown as composed of three sections I6, If! and 18 connected in any suitable way. as -by bolts or screws 19 with or without; interposed packing as illustrated at 80. In this embodiment the inlet 8|, formed as a nipple on housingvsecje tion 'IB has suitable connection to and communication with the conduit 'II leading from the out,- let of the water jacket, and outlet 82 for connection to and communication with the conduit 7' II leading to the radiator is formed as a nipple on housing'section 18.- A nipple 83 on thefhousing sectioni'l is adapted to be suitably connected to and communicate with the by-pass I4. 7 As in the embodiment of Fig. 2, the thermostat is illustrated as formed by an expansible and col- 'lapsible' corrugated tubular metal wall'or bellows '84 having a stationary end wall 85 suitably at- 'tached tothe housing wall and amovable end awall 86,-the chamber 8! thereby formed beingx suitably charged with a thermosensitive fluid.

'' preferably a vaporizable 1iquid, as before explained. Fixed to said movable end wall 86 is a stud 88 to which is afilxed the valve stem 89.

, At its opposite end valve stem 89 is afiixed to'a threaded'stud 90' projecting from the movable endwall 9I of a pressure compensating vessel 92 having its-peripheral. wall formed by ansex '36 pansible. and..collaps ible tubular metal Wall 01's,.

bellows 93. The stationary-end wall 94 f vessel .92 is fixedly: mounted in; position, as by'means" got a bridge 95 formed in or suitably attached to herefsh'own expansive and contractive movements of. the vessel 92 are guided bya pin 96 fixed tovone of the end walls .of the vessel 92 and having its oppositeend slidingly related with. 4

a recess suitably provided thereatr Thermostat 8'! and compensating vessel 92 may beformed, mounted and charged asheretofore explained in reater detail in conjunction with the embodi-f I Y I 0 men tof1 'ig. 2. g, j a Slidingly mounted on the stem 89 is a sleeve' 91 to which are affixed or suitably formed integral therewith the valve members 98, 99 and I00,

valve members 98 and I00 being shown as threadedly secured to the sleeve 91 while valve member 99 is shown as formed integrally with said sleeve. As in the embodiment of Fig. 2, housing section. T1 is provided with an interior partition I M provided with aligned apertures I02 and I03 to pro vide valve ports. In this embodiment removable threaded valve seat members are shown in said ports, but the ports could be. formed by aper-.

tures in the partition as in the embodiment of Fig. 2, analogously as the embodiment of Fig. 2 could be provided with removable valve seat i members ifdesired. The housing section' l'l is also provided with a second partition, I04 aper- 1 tured to provide a valve port I05, herealso shown as provided with'a removable valve seat member.

to make seating contact with the peripheries of. the ports I02." and I05, respectively, but valve member 99 is of such size that. it slides in the l 70 Valve members 98 and I00 are shownas adapted to guide the movements oi said valve member} with respect toi'port I03... e

As is well understood in the art, the volume of. 7

' flow througha valve port'does not vary directly 5 v with the distance of thevalve member irom'the p rt. Thus -movementof .the valve ginem'ber tion of the valveports both when the bv-pass ;valve is closed with the main valve wide open: and

when the main valve is closed with the try-pass valve wide open; the capacity for flow'when said valve members-are approximately half way-be tween their extreme positions may-be on the. a

order of 160% of that existing before the by-p'a'ss valve start-sto close and after it is fullyclosed.

This in turn meansthat there isivery'material e V variation in pressure drop across the regulator during the periods 'when the valve members are in ther than their extreme positions, because the capacity of the pump 'do'es'not change with I 5 the capacity of flow through the'regulator. It is highlydesirable in, order to attain the intended result of nice regulation of cooling medium flow in conformity with the variations in temperature thatthereJbe asubstantially constant fiow'oi e 30. liquid through the regulator irrespective of the position assumed by the valve member-sin the operation of the thermostat.

The present invention provides for the;

' In the e bo iments Fig; 4-.the valve Ime'm-- :be'rs 98 and 99 are so mounted-on the valve stem 80 that they areat different distanceslfrom their? respective valve' seats,j-so;.that valve member 99 will close its.port-'I03 'before. valve member 98,

"closes its port" l02 .'i ,,"'Th'e diiferencei-n the spacing v ofthe valve menibers-98 and 99 from their rejr 'spective ports is'so selected that in all interg" :mediate positionsthequantityofliquid flowing through the housing is thesame 'OiJIBfiIIY so as when the-valve members are in 'their extreme posi,tion s,:i. e., the quantity fiowing through the housing when'valve member I00 engages itsseat 65 and portsfi02 and I03 'are wid'e open and when .portsl02 and I 03 are closed'and valve member s n I00-ism wide open position is the same approxi-E matelYas when the valve members are all in j intermediate-partly opened, position. Thisnnay GO'be eifected in the following manner; b '7 b Assuming-a desired predetermined constant fiow'of liquid through thehous'ing, a graph I20 r (see Fig. 5) 'isdrawn for the flow of liquid'through v the port I05as valve member I00 moves fromits o5 closed'to its wide open posltlongthe' flow when said valvemember I00 is closed being obviously zero and the valve member and port bein v o constructed that when member mus initswi'de; open position thejaforesaid predetermined flow 1 is provided; saidgraph thus beingtang'ent'tothe horizontalgraph line I2I representing the eon-2 stantvolume flow desired. A-"graph I22'is then.

drawn for the flow of liquid through the port" I 02 as valve member 98'moves fromvitsclosed posi- 7dtion to wideopen positiomand a second graph mains tenance of a substantially constant flow of -liquid I through theregulator housiiig',. j and' whilethe feature now to be described canb'eembodiedin; v V V s n-aw e bodiment of Fig. 2, for example,' -an' d Fig.'6,fthe

.Iembodiment of Fig. 4 is here'ius'edto illustrate 'the ;,wall of housing. section I8, andsaid vessel.v s c pa y for a substantially constant volume 92 ischarged aslbefore explained. In the form I e III is drawn to correspondingly indicate the, quantity of flow through port I03 asz nlvem'ember 99 moves from its closed to wide'open position, said two valve membersand ports. beingso constructed that in wide open position the sum of the flow through the twoports equals the v aforesaid predetermined flow designated byhorizontal line I 2I. By moving the zero points of the last two named graphs I22 and I23 alonglthe.

base line a position can be found wherein the sum of the ordinates of these two graphs I2I and I 22, 'for any particular point on the base line, are equal to, or substantially equal to, .the diflerence in the ordinates at that point between the horizontal line I2I denoting. the constant volume flow and the corresponding ordinate on the graph I20 for the valve member i00. In other words, in this position of the two graphs for the valve members 98 and 99 the sum "of the ordinates for the three graphsl20, I22, and I23 denoting performance of the three valve members able end wall 86' of thermostat 81. If the temperature rises sufliciently to melt the block II 0.;

a 10 slidably mounted on stem 88 and fixedly attach as by a threaded connection, to a, sleeve I" also slidably mounted -on the valve stem 88; The

' inner .end'of'sleeve I 0I'-is provided with a'beveled surface I08 to-provide a cam, and one (ormore balls I09 are mounted in apertures in the wall of the. bore of stem 89 normally locked inengage ment with the cam surface I08 by a block of fusi: ble metal I I0. Surface I03 is held incontact with the :ballor balls I09 bya coilspring u I. interposed-betweenthe valve member 98 and the-mov-' or soften it sufliciently, the balls are calnmed in- ,wardly into the. melted or softened metal by the action of coil spring "II I transmitted to the sleeve as, as and I00 atpoint, 12.5% open andwhich are respectively'designated A, C and B will substantially equal the ordinate Dof the. horizontal line I2I denoting the intendedconstantvolume flow. The differencein ,the posit'ions of the abscissae wherethe-two curvesI2'2 and I23} denoting performance of valveinenjibers' "and 89 'intersect'the base line determines the difference which must. exist in the time of; closing of valves 98 and 99,-and therefo're'thediflerence in the spacing of said valve membersfrom their respec-' tive seats which must exist, if substantially constant volume flow is tobe maintained. Such is schematically illustrated in the embodiment "of Fig. 4 by valve member 89 being appreciably nearer its port I03 than is valve member 98 to its port I02,'and as valve member 99 mayv slide within its port, said port may be made of sun!- cient length axially'so that said port is closed from the time valve member 99 enters one end of the port until and including the time when I01 through valve member 98 and to th cam surface I08 inengagement with said balls.

Thereby sleeve 91 is rendered free to slide on the valve stem 89 and, under the action of spring I I I, the valve members 98 and 99-are moved to close .the by-pass ports and valve I00 is moved to its wide open position.

. As illustrated by graph I20 in Fig. 5. for approximately 50% of the stroke of the valve membertheflow is substantially proportional to the I extent of valve opening. In other words, approximately the first 50% of the flow when plotted against theopening of the valve gives a graph which is substantially a straight line: If the stroke of the valve is short enough in comparison with the effective area of the valve, the valve can .be made to Operate substantially upon this straight line portion of the graph. Hence it is possible to obtain a substantially constant total flow by using relatively large valves having relatively shortstrokes, so that if the valves are so constructed that when they cause all of the liquid to flow through the by-pass the new is substantially the same as when they cause all of the liquid I to flow through the main line or-radiator,in invalve member 98 engages itsseat and closes its corresponding port. I

While-in the illustrated. embodiment the control of the by-pass'is effected by two valve member closing their ports at different times, the two valves closing at different timesmay-be applied equally well to the controlof the flow through the radiator, in which event graph I20 would designate the by -pass now and graphs I22 and I23 would designate the performance of the two valves in the main line through the radiator; The effective area of the valve member I00 ,when closed is equated with the effective area of the movable end wall of chamber 92 in the con- I 00 is open or closed, and therefore no leakage provision is required.

The embodiment of Fig. 4 shows an alternative structure for introducing the safety feature described in conjunction with the embodiment of Fig. 2, operating on the same principle but differing in detail. As here shown, the sleeve 91 is termediate positions wherein the valves are partly open their total or combined flowthrough'the I by-pass and the main line or radiator is substantially the same as when liquid is flowing through either one of these valves alone.

The embodiment 'of Fig. 6, illustrates the present invention incorporated in a structure having the compensating featureand the safety feature heretofore referred to but 1 8 ,only a single main valve and a single by-pass valve 'which'by reason'of the relationship of their effective areas to the length of their strokes will produce a substantially constant volume of liquid flow as above explained.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the regulator again includes a housing which may be composed of any suitable number of parts but is shown as having a central section I30 providedin any suit-'- able way with a nipple Ii'LI. for connection to the by-pass, an end section I 32 providedi'n any suitable way with anipple' I33 for connection to the water line and constituting th inlet to the housing, and an end section I34 provided many suitable way with a nipple I35 for connection to the water line andlprovidingan outlet for the hdusing. Said housing sections may. be connected in any suitable way, as by a plurality of, bolts or screws I36, and suitable-packing as shown at I31 may be interposed to prevent leakage.

Mounted in any suitable way in the housing section I32 is a thermostat of any suitable size and construction, and here shown as'in theform of an expansible and collapsible chamber defined by a corrugated tubular metal wall or bellows member I68. I

Interposed between the movable end wallglu 130 provided with a stationary end wall I39which is fixedly attached in'positionln the housing, as V by a threadedboss I40 extending through an aperture MI in a bridge" I42, formed integrally with or attached to'the housing section 'I32,and 1 locked in position as by the nut I 43.' The opposite imovable end wall-1M4 closi'ngth'e opposite end of the chamber I45-of said thermostat, and which chamber ischarged with any suitable thermosensitive fluid, preferably'a'volatileliquid. par- 'tially filling said chamber as heretofore )eX- plained. has attached thereto in any suitable way a stem I46. As here illustrated stem I48 carries "a guide pin I41 slidably engaged with the; bore I 48 of the guide Post orstop member I49 pro- "jectingfrom the end. wall I39 and here shown as formed integrally with the threaded boss I40.

Stem I46, as here shown, is provided with'ex- I terior threads, and is threadedly received within the internally threadedbore I50 of stem .II

threadedly' attached at I52 to a boss or stem I53 projecting from the movableend wall I54 ofthe compensating vessel. I 55, which is partially evacuated but with a charge of; air or suitable inert gas,

said movable end Wall I54 having substantially the sameeflective area as the movable end wall 12 tubular valve" member s I latter toward'the right, as viewed inthe drawings, said tubular valve member with its sleeve I61 b ing normally locked against movement onrthe stem I5I bythe interengagernent'between the 7 balls I65,the plug "56' and the locking rin'gI 52.1

In operation, the coolingliquid enters the housv ing through the opening in nipple I33, and if-said liquid is cold, as it will benorma'lly at the begin-- ning of "operation, the thermostat I45 is, contracted and-valve member I68 is'held'in contact with seat I'III whereby the liquid willflow through the interior of said valvejm'emberQIfiB andout through'the by-pa'ss opening provided by nipple I3I. As the liquid rises in temperature the there mostat, I45 .will'expand moving the valve'member ber. II3,'in which position flow through the by I44 of said thermostat and said compensating vessel having the construction, function and man:

l'ner'of operation as heretofore explained .in detail in ponnection with the other embodiments.

ISaid compensating vessel 1 55 has a. stationaryend I wall I56 mounted in any suitableway, as by a threaded boss I51 projecting through an aperture ,I58- 'in' a bridge, I 59 attached to or ,formed integrally with the housing section I34and;locke d in position by a nut I60,

Slidably mounted ont e tem I5I is .a sleeve 7 I6I which carries adjacent its opposite -end,.as.by

internal'threads, a locking sleeve I62 havinga beveled surface I63 at its. inner extremity. The

wall of the hollowed portion of the stem I5I 'has. 'one or more apertures I64 in which are disposed balls I65 held in their outer position in contact with thebeveled surface I63 by a plug I66of metal which will melt or soften ifthe temperatureof the liquid under controlreaches a dangerous degree,

Mounted'on the sleeve m, as by arms I61 is-a by-pass valve member in the form ofasleeve I68 flanged to provide a conical seating surface I69;

The effective area of said flanged end of member I68 is preferably substantially'the same as the the outlet provided by the nipple I35.

- I68 toward the right as viewed in the drawing to permit flow through the port provided by the seat I I10 while simultaneously advancingjhe beveled end III of said valve me'mber IfiB toward its seat III2 on the member'- I13. 'Continued rifsei'of the temperature-will eventually cause the end III 'of' valvesmember I6 8; to engage its seat I12 onmem passris stopped and'valve member I 68 is in its most remote position from its seat I10, whereby allof the liquid'will flow-through the outlet to g the radiator provided by thenipple 135.;

If "at anytime thethermostat should become inoperativeso' that the temperature of'the' liquid rises to a dangerous degree, such temperature will cause the plug I66 to soften or melt, whereby the} 'balls I65 may be cammed'in'wardlyintothe.chain her in the hollowed portion of the stem I 5'I 'by the action'of the bev'elede'xtremity of rin I62 onsaid balls, whereby th sleeve IBI is free to slide on the ,stem I5I, and'the-coil sprin II8will thereupon move valve member I60 to itsextreme vopen position, causing the ,b'y-pass "to" be Y'c'ompletely closed and all of the liquid to flow f The effective area of movable end wall 1540f compensatingvessel I is equated asto effective area of the movable end wall I44 of :the'the'rmostat I45 so that said compensating vesselQwilljco- ,operate with saidthermostat to balance out'fium tuations in the temperatureof the liquid either f caused by variationsoi' pressuredue toaltitude orvariations of pressure in the liquid. itself, a nd' when thecompensating vessel I55 is shieldedby the valve member I68, the same actionis obtained.

7 because of the opposed pressure acting on the effective areasof the movable end walls of the thermostat I45 and the compensatingvessel I55- so that when the latter is shielded from the liquid pressure by the position of the valve member I68 the compensating action is still obtained as above explained. Threadedly mounted at the'inner end of the housing sectionI32 is a valve seat memberv I10 adapted to make line contact with said surface I69. The; opposite end of valve member I68 is shown as beveled at I'I'I to make seating'contact with a beveled surface I'I2 on a seating member-I13 suitably mounted, as by threads,in an aperture H4 in an internal partition -II5 ofthe housing section I30. Partition I'I5 has a second and aligned. aperture. I16 in which'issuitably mounted, as by threads, a guidemember IT! for slidably receiving of the thermostat and a suitableseat provided on the valve member I68, here shown as provided in. the arms I61, is-a coil spring I'I8 reacting between themovable end wall on said thermostat and said and guiding the tubular valve 1 movable end wall I44 and'the flanged end of'valve member 168 having the sameeffective'areaj 7 Owing to the large eifective area ofth e valve ports and the relatively. short stroke required-to effect maximum opening or closing, the volume of flow-of the liquid remains substantially constant whether; valve member I68 is in engage? ment with its seat I10, orwhether. saidvalve' member is in 'eng'agemen twithits seat I12, or". whether it isin any intermediate positionfas; I

above explained.

It will therefore be perceived that by the pres-f ent inventiona temperature reg'ulator has been 7 provided wherein. the movementof thevalve members incontrolling alternative flow through a bypass or-the radiator is' determined onlyby' the temperature at the thermostatirrespective of what fluctuationin pressure'may occurin the cooling medium, whether dueto variations in altitude' orvariationsin the operation of'thefcool ing system. Moreover,theaiores aid result may be combined with such an operation of the lther;

mostatically controlled valves as to assure a ub so as to tendrto urgetthe throu h and compact, highly efii'cient in. operation, and

which may be manufactured. and. installed at a relatively low cost. g V

While the embodiments of the inventionzillustrated on the drawings have been described with;

considerable particularity, it is to be expressly understoodthat the invention is not restricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, some of" which will now readily suggest themselves to those skilled 'in. the art, while changes may be made in the details of the component elements, as in the matters of size, relationship, etc., and certain features used without other features without de-- parting from the spirit of this invention. The novel safety feature provided by the present invention is of utility in regulators for vehicles or installations operating only at the surface of the earth as well as at any altitude above the surface of the earth. .The provision for maintaining. constant volume flow may be used with or without the balancing of variations in pressure, and the compensation for variations in-pressurecan be used with or without the maintenance of a comstant volume flow, and While both are of particular utility in conjunction. with airplane service because of the difiiculties introduced as a result of fluctuating air pressures, the present in'-- vention may be used in other installations where variations of pressure in the cooling medium for one reason or another or variations in. volume flow are to be eliminated. Reference is therefore to be had to the appended claims for adefinition of this invention.

What is claimedisz l. A temperature regulator Of the type-em-' ploying thermostatically controlled valve mechanism for'predetermining the flow of medium througheither or both ofa main lineand at bypass and in combination with a thermostat subjected to the temperature of said medium and including an expansible and collapsible chamber having a movable'endv wall responsive to variations in the pressure acting exteriorly on said thermostat, means providing main and by-pass ports, a pressure responsive member operatively connected to said thermostat in opposing relation thereto, saidthermostat and said pressure responsive memberbeing respectively. disposed on opposite sides with respect to one of said ports so that when said port is closed one of said therirrcombination with a. thermostat subjected to: theqtemperatureof said: medium. and including.

an expansible and collapsible'chamber having a.

movable end wall. responsive: to; variations in the pressure acting exteriorly on. said thermostat, means providing'main and by-pass ports, a. pres-- sure. responsive member operatively connected to said thermostat inopposing. relation thereto, said thermostat and said. pressure responsive member'being respectively disposed on opposite. sides with respect to one of said. ports so that when said port is closed'one of said thermostat and. said: pressure responsive member is shielded from the pressure acting onthe other, said pressure responsive .chamber including a partially evacuated, gas-charged, expa'nsible and collapsible chamber having a movable end wall provided with an effective area which is equal to the effective area of the movable endfwall of said thermostat, and main and by-pass valve mechanism operatively connected to the movable end'walls' of said. thermostat and" pressure responsive memher and disposed therebetween in axial alignment mostat .and said pressure responsive member is shielded from the pressure acting on the other, said pressure responsive chamber including a partially evacuated, gas-charged, expansible and collapsible chamber having a movable end wall provided with an effective area which is equal. to the effective area of the movable end wall of said thermostat, and main and by-pass valve mechanism operatively connected to the movable end walls of said thermostat and pressure responsive member and including a valve member cooperating with said port separating said. thermostat and said pressure responsive member-and having an effective area equal to that of the movable end walls of said thermostat and said pressure responsive member.

2. A temperature regulator of the type employing thermostatically controlled valve mechanism for predetermining the flow of medium through either or both of a main line and a by-pass. and

therewith, one of said main and by-pass valve mechanisms including a single member and the otherincluding a pair of members and said single member cooperating with said port separating said thermostat and said pressure responsive member and having. an effective area equal to that of the movable end walls of said thermostat and said pressure responsiye member..

3. In a temperature regulator for internal combustion engines of the type employing thermostatically controlled valve mechanism for predetermining the flow of cooling medium through either or both of a radiator and a bypass therearound, and in combination with a thermostat subjected to the temperature ,of.' said medium and responsive to variations in the pressure thereof, main: and by-pass valve mechanism attached to said: thermostat, one of said valvemechanisms comprising a single valve member and the other valve mechanism comprising two valve members,. ported members cooperating with each of. said valve members, and a pressure responsive compensating member attached to said valve members ingopposition to saidthermostat and having 1 the same effective areaas said thermostat, the

two valve members of said second named'valve mechanism being disposed at difierent distances. from their ported members'when open by' an.

amount such as toprovide a total flow of'cooling medium throughiall three valve ports when said valve ports are partly open. approximately equal to the now through the port of said single valve member: when only said single valve member is open.

4. In a temperature regulator for an internal. combustion engine of the type employing a radiator and a by-pas around said radiator and a thermostatic regulator for predetermining the flow of cooling medium through either or both of said radiator and saidby-pass including ,a thermostat subjected to the temperature of the cooling medium and main and by-pass valve mechanism connected to saidv thermostat, one of the valve mechanisms including a pair of valve members and the other valve mechanism. including a single valve member and portedmembers co-operating with the respective valve members, the two members of the first-named valve mechanism being positioned at difl'erent distances from their ported members when open whereby one of said valve members will close of the other.

its port ahead v Number 17 Name Date Cromley Dec. 12, 1911, Wolf Dec. 20, 1921 Sperry Mar. 27, 1934 Dodson Sept, 22, 1936 Martin-Hurst May 28, 1940 Pagelsen Aug. 15, 1911 Fulton Dec, 12, 1916 Sinclair Dec. 30, 1930 Beardsley Mar. 7, 1933 Trane Mar. '1, 1932 Ame: 1 Nov. 13, 1934 Clokey Mar. 12, 1940 Dillon Dec. 17, 1940 Nllmbr Number Sarco, Catalog Sheet A. I. A. Flle 29-021 Saree;

18 4 Name Date Clifford Jan. 19, 1943 Thomson Dec. 31, 1918 Druar Jan, 6,1920 Fu'rber Jan. 17, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Cnuntry Date France Jan. 8, 1923 Germany Jan. 30, 1930 OTHER REFERENCES No. 140, June, 1936 (2 pages) 

